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Re: NBA top free agents 2011

Because he's upped his impact on the court tremendously since going to Memphis?

No... He has been rebounding and scoring like a machine for years now even as a Knick. Gasol is good but he isn't worth max money and the whole I play along a good player doesn't fly with me. He's a solid player and better than Hibbert but neither him or Nene are worth max money.

Edit: Gasol is not worth more money than Zach because he's not a better player. Why pay a good but not great player max money? Do the Pacers want to be the next Atlanta?

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

No... He has been rebounding and scoring like a machine for years now even as a Knick. Gasol is good but he isn't worth max money and the whole I play along a good player doesn't fly with me. He's a solid player and better than Hibbert but neither him or Nene are worth max money.

Edit: Gasol is not worth more money than Zach because he's not a better player. Why pay a good but not great player max money? Do the Pacers want to be the next Atlanta?

I do get your argument, as I myself have debated whether Gasol was worth the max. But when you think about it, he's a 7'1" 26-year-old center who scores at a high clip and is a very good rebounder (which the numbers won't tell you by themselves), and he has experience deep in the playoffs. He definitely would play up to his deal.

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

The Lakers won 5 championships with a PF smaller than their point guard.

Forgive my ignorance, but which Lakers, what years, and who? If you're talking about Magic Johnson as the point guard, that's a special case; there aren't many functional 6'8" point guards these days, not to mention any that play for the Pacers.

I like to think that, with Hansbrough at 6'9", we don't need any more small power forwards. Players like Carl Landry shouldn't come near the team, intense or not. We need some height, strength, and some form of athleticism at our four position, besides McRoberts (whose skill/potential is still indefinite and undetermined).

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

I like Hans, there are a lot of things that you get with him that you won't find in many Players in the NBA. I do think it is a good option to have a long PF as well though, not just tall, but I think for matchup situations it can help.

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

I think Marc Gasol's gotten quite overrated, personally. He had a very ho-hum regular season, then played huge minutes in the playoffs (39.9), giving him somewhat inflated production, and now people seem to think he's an all-star.

He's a good center, but he's about to turn 27 and has likely peaked as a low-to-mid teens scorer and a sub-par rebounder. $10M per, given the premium placed on big men, sure. Max money? Yikes...

The NBA and the players shook hands on a tentative agreement early Saturday morning, which means that players will be putting on their NBA uniforms soon -- and some will be wearing new ones. Although there's still some fine print to be ironed out in the new labor deal, we can already see where the best fits will be. The combination of an amnesty clause and a harsher luxury tax will undoubtedly produce some more free agents, but they won't have the kind of impact as the players below.

(Note: "R" denotes restricted free agent.)

1. David West -- Indiana Pacers
On one hand, West couldn't have picked a worse time to hit the market, having just undergone surgery to repair an ACL. On the other hand, he's probably the biggest fish on the free-agent menu and also clearly the best available player at his position.

The Pacers are the rare organization with the ability to open up their wallet, and they could use an upgrade at the 4. Tyler Hansbrough has starter-level effort but not contender-level talent. West can be that guy for the Pacers, a team expected to make a big splash next season.

2. Tyson Chandler -- Toronto Raptors
Chandler could decide to return to the Mavericks, but he could also choose to follow Dwane Casey from the Dallas Mavericks' bench to Toronto. Casey, the newly hired Raptors head coach, was the defensive guru behind the Mavericks' wall that stifled the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat en route to a title.

Chandler flourished as the anchor to Casey's system, and the Raptors have the cash to offer the center big money. Of course, Dallas owner Mark Cuban notoriously breaks the bank for his centers, so there's a good chance Chandler will defend the title. However, a Casey and Chandler connection would be ideal for Toronto.

3. Nene -- Denver Nuggets
China absolutely raided the Nuggets' roster during the lockout, leaving the front office with no choice but to give Nene a blank check. As far as centers go, Nene may not be the defender or quite the rebounder that Chandler is, but the Brazilian big man makes up for it with an array of moves to score the rock.

It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the Nuggets decide to let the most efficient big man in the game walk away. With Kenyon Martin and Wilson Chandler heading to China, the Nuggets may have to think about slotting Nene at the 4 and putting Chris Andersen at center. The 6-foot-11 Nene has slid over before, but it's not his natural position. No matter what position they have in mind for him, the Nuggets would be foolish not to lock him up long-term.

4. Jason Richardson -- Chicago Bulls
The Bulls should point their horns toward a strong shooting guard, and Richardson will warrant a strong look. The 30-year-old looked much older in Orlando than he did in Phoenix as his points-per-minute numbers fell off a cliff after he was traded at the deadline. Most of that was due to a plummeting usage rate, but he also didn't help matters by shooting just 43 percent in blue and white.

Still, there's plenty of value here. The Bulls struggled mightily to find middle ground between offensive specialist Kyle Korver and defensive specialist Ronnie Brewer, but Richardson can bring it on both ends. As a career 37.3 percent shooter from downtown, he and Derrick Rose would form one of the strongest backcourts in the sport. The question remains whether Richardson's stock has dipped far enough to the point where Chicago could afford him.

5. Samuel Dalembert -- Miami Heat
With South Beach around the corner and a perennial championship-caliber roster, the Heat will be an extremely tempting destination for veterans looking for a shot at the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Add in the fact that Dalembert's roots are in nearby Haiti; the veteran center has spent much of his time involved with Haiti earthquake recovery programs.

Dalembert made more than $13 million last season but should be due for a massive pay cut after taking a big step backward with the Sacramento Kings. He's no longer one of the league's best shot-blockers or rebounders, but he would fit in perfectly with the Heat's system. He probably could command more money elsewhere, but that didn't stop LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Chris Bosh, Mike Bibby and … you get the idea.

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Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images
Crawford could provide the Bucks some much-needed scoring punch.
6. Jamal Crawford -- Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks' offense was so pathetic last season that they treaded in least-efficient-offense-in-NBA-history territory for a while. They finished last in the NBA in efficiency, scoring just 99.0 points every 100 possessions. You know it's rough when you depend on a 5-foot-5 35-year-old (Earl Boykins) for scoring punch.

Enter Crawford. Sure, Crawford's me-first mentality might not jive well with Milwaukee head coach and disciplinarian Scott Skiles, but the Bucks are desperate for a go-to scorer on the wing. With J.R. Smith in China and a shallow pool of alternatives, Crawford could take some pressure off Brandon Jennings and provide the Bucks with a much-needed injection of points.

7. Rodney Stuckey (R) -- Toronto Raptors
If you go strictly by points per game, Stuckey endured a down season in 2010-11, but a closer look at his campaign actually reveals a dramatic step forward. By trimming the fat in his shot selection, he posted easily the best true shooting percentage of his career and became a better distributor as a floor general.

If the Pistons decide to hand over the keys to draftee Brandon Knight, they could cut ties with Stuckey and let him walk. It would save the bloated franchise some cash, but it's not a good bet that Knight will ever match Stuckey's 18.4 player efficiency rating in 2010-11. If Tyson Chandler returns to Dallas, the Raptors should focus their energy on nabbing a point guard for the long haul. Remember, at 25, Stuckey is just entering his prime.

8. Arron Afflalo (R) -- Denver Nuggets
There might not be a more underrated player in the game, and he's overdue for a big payday. It's not easy to find a top perimeter defender who can also shoot the ball lights-out, but the 25-year-old UCLA product fits both criteria. And luckily for Afflalo, the Nuggets will have plenty of dough to send his way once he hits the market.

Sure, Denver's mass exodus to China will put a dent in the team's contention status, but it also means Afflalo's time to shine is now. A starting lineup of Ty Lawson, Afflalo, Danilo Gallinari, Nene and Andersen might not win a title, but it's better than what most teams can put on the floor on a nightly basis.

9. Caron Butler -- Los Angeles Clippers
The market for Butler's services might have dried up some since he underwent serious knee surgery in January, but he could become a great bargain opportunity for a team willing to risk it. The Clippers are a natural fit with a hole at small forward (Al-Farouq Aminu is still a year or two away), and if the Mavericks decide to cut bait, Butler could be a good flier candidate.

No, it's not encouraging that the 31-year-old was limited to no more than a couple of minutes in the South Florida All-Star Classic, especially when you consider he had been hoping to participate in the Mavs' playoff run. Nonetheless, Butler still has the talent to be an average small forward, and at his expected price, that's all the Clippers could ask for.

10. J.J. Barea -- Dallas Mavericks
As an undersized point guard, Barea's stature requires a safety net behind him on defense. Without a dominant big man to absorb blow-bys, Barea loses much of his value on the floor. This is why the Mavericks, with Tyson Chandler patrolling the paint, leveraged Barea's talents better than most teams can. As a result, the Mavericks will likely be Barea's top suitor in free agency.

As is the case with Chandler and Butler, Barea's return is contingent on how much money Mavs owner Mark Cuban is willing to eat. With a stricter penalty on exceeding the salary cap looking very possible, Cuban has to recalibrate his cost/benefit analysis. If the Mavericks find Barea expendable, the line for his services will not be short.

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

So 12 and 7 coupled with good defense is worth a max contract? Larry Bird please GOD NO....

ITs a good thing that the Grizz will match anything..

I suggest offering a near MAX Contract to Gasol...forcing the Grizzlies to match while eating up their Capspace......then call them up a few days later making an offer for OJ Mayo to help clear Capspace for them.

Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

This is David West, he is the Honey Badger, West just doesn't give a *****....he's pretty bad *ss cuz he has no regard for any other Player or Team whatsoever.

I may be the only one but I am just not attracted to David West at all, what ever explosiveness he had, it probably has been diminished by his injury, why wave money around just because you can.

When comparing him vs tyler with the money factor and their contributions on the court I just can not see how that would make any sense. I think his better days are behind him. I always question signing older players to expensive contracts. I will be disappointed if we spend a ton on David West.

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

I would just like to reiterate how awesome it is that we have cap room. I've been waiting for this since like '08. Can't believe the days of having $35 mil dedicated to TJ, Dunleavy, Murph, and Tinsley are over.

Re: NBA top free agents 2011

I suggest offering a near MAX Contract to Gasol...forcing the Grizzlies to match while eating up their Capspace......then call them up a few days later making an offer for OJ Mayo to help clear Capspace for them.

Quick question about how many min per game would you expect OJ to get with George, Paul, DC, and Granger?(putting all of them because they will be the ones in the rotation as well)